Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Characters & Voice Actors Revealed
Tite Kubo and his Bleach series is one of the most important titles in the history of manga and anime, a title that has helped make anime and manga what it is today. And while the anime adaptation of Bleach ended rather abruptly with the Fullbringer Arc, we are finally going to see the infamous Thousand-Year Blood War adapted on screen in October 2022, and we cannot be happier. Bleach is one of the “Big Three” anime series, alongside One Piece and Naruto, and in this article, we have decided to talk about the amazing characters of this series.
What we are about to tell you is a list of the most important Bleach characters who are going to make their return in the upcoming season and their voice actors in the anime series. Before we approach each of the characters individually, here is a quick overview:
| Character | Voice Actor |
|---|---|
| Ichigo Kurosaki | Masakazu Morita |
| Rukia Kuchiki | Fumiko Orikasa |
| Uryū Ishida | Noriaki Sugiyama |
| Orihime Inoue | Yuki Matsuoka |
| Yasutora Sado | Hiroki Yasumoto |
| Renji Abarai | Kentaro Ito |
| Kisuke Urahara | Shinichiro Miki |
| Yoruichi Shihōin | Satsuki Yukino |
| Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto | Binbin Takaoka |
| Soi Fon | Houko Kuwashima |
| Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi | Shouto Kashii |
| Retsu Unohana | Aya Hisakawa |
| Shinji Hirako | Masaya Onosaka |
| Byakuya Kuchiki | Ryotaro Okiayu |
| Sajin Komamura | Tetsu Inada |
| Shunsui Kyōraku | Akio Ohtsuka |
| Kensei Muguruma | Tomokazu Sugita |
| Tōshirō Hitsugaya | Romi Park |
| Kenpachi Zaraki | Fumihiko Tachiki |
| Mayuri Kurotsuchi | Ryusei Nakao |
| Jūshirō Ukitake | Hideo Ishikawa |
| Ichibē Hyōsube | Naomi Kusumi |
| Ōetsu Mimaiya | Yōji Ueda |
| Tenjirō Kirinji | Tomoyuki Shimura |
| Senjumaru Shutara | Rina Satou |
| Kirio Hikifune | Ayumi Tsunematsu |
| Yhwach | Takayuki Sugo |
| Jugram Haschwalth | Yuichiro Umehara |
| Askin Nakk Le Vaar | Shunsuke Takeuchi |
| Bambietta Basterbine | Ayana Taketatsu |
| Bazz-B | Yūki Ono |
| Candice Catnipp | Yumi Uchiyama |
| Gremmy Thoumeaux | Natsuki Hanae |
| Lille Barro | Satoshi Hino |
| Ryūnosuke Yuki | Daiki Yamashita |
| Shino Madarame | Asami Seto |
| Äs Nödt | Yoshitsugu Matsuoka |
| Quilge Opie | Kōichi Yamadera |
| BG9 | Hideyuki Tanaka |
| Robert Accutrone | Takaya Hashi |
| Driscoll Berci | Nobuaki Kanemitsu |
| Mask De Masculine | Yasuhiro Mamiya |
| NaNaNa Najahkoop | Tomoaki Maeno |
Ichigo Kurosaki – Masakazu Morita
Voice Actor: Masakazu Morita
Ichigo Kurosaki is the protagonist of the story. Ichigo is a high school student who has the ability to interact with spirits. Afterward, he was forced to become a substitute shinigami unintentionally, as he absorbed most of the powers of another shinigami named Rukia. When the manga series was created, Kubo commented that Rukia Kuchiki had been the first character that he devised, but not for her to be the protagonist of the work, so he designed Ichigo to fill that role.
Rukia Kuchiki – Fumiko Orikasa
Voice Actor: Fumiko Orikasa
Rukia Kuchiki is the trigger of the plot which revolves around the series and the co-star during the first two arcs. Rukia is a shinigami who was sent to Karakura Town to eliminate all the hollows there. Although her physical appearance is that of a teenager, she is actually ten times older than Ichigo.
Early in the story, Rukia was forced to transfer her powers to Ichigo and thus assumed a temporary lifestyle as a human normal, to teach her how to use her shinigami powers until she could get hers back and go back to her world. Kubo commented that Rukia was the first character created in the series, and decided to use her design to create the other shinigami in the work.
Uryū Ishida – Yuki Matsuoka
Voice Actor: Yuki Matsuoka
Uryū Ishida is a Quincy, descended from a line of hollow hunters. At the beginning of the series, he had a certain rivalry with the other main characters, since he had a deep grudge against all the shinigami, including Ichigo, but as the story progresses they become friends. However, even being Ichigo’s friend, he cannot stop competing against him.
Orihime Inoue – Yuki Matsuoka
Voice Actor: Yuki Matsuoka
he is an orphan and was raised by her older brother, Sora. However, Sora died in a car accident, leaving her completely alone. Initially, she lacked spiritual powers, but over the course of the series, she developed her spiritual consciousness, thus obtaining strange powers capable of violating God’s designs, and being able to reject any phenomenon altering time and space.
Yasutora Sado – Hiroki Yasumoto
Voice Actor: Hiroki Yasumoto
Chad, whose real name is Yasutora Sado, is one of Ichigo’s best friends at school. Despite his imposing appearance, he is very meek, refusing to fight unless it is for the good of another. Chad could not see hollows, but this changed when a group of children was attacked by one.
At that time, he discovered a unique ability, which was armor that strengthened his right arm. Later, he developed the ability to shoot energy by his arm and also discovered that his left arm had a powerful offensive ability.
Renji Abarai – Kentaro Ito
Voice Actor: Kentaro Ito
Renji Abarai is a shinigami with the rank of second-in-command of Division 6. Although he initially follows his duty and appears as a deadly enemy in the fight for Rukia, he is increasingly troubled with his conscience because he has been friends with Rukia since the beginning of his career.
He is very bold, but has great respect for the skills of his superior Byakuya, whom he is determined to outrank. In addition, he does not always agree with his actions, which are strictly based on traditional rules. In battle, Renji always uses his Zanpakuto Zabimaru.
Kisuke Urahara – Shinichiro Miki
Voice Actor: Shinichiro Miki
Kisuke Urahara is the owner of a shop that sells useful items for Shinigami. It is learned that he is the former commander of Division 12 and the founder of the research department. Kisuke is a very easy-going person who often infuriates Ichigo and his friends. He typically wears a green and white striped hat, coat, and sandals. When it comes down to it, Kisuke can also get serious and proves to be a very strong fighter. According to Aizen, Kisuke has a higher intellect than himself. His zanpakutō is called Benihime.
Yoruichi Shihōin – Satsuki Yukino
Voice Actor: Satsuki Yukino
Yoruichi Shihōin was once the leader of Division 2. She helps Ichigo and his friends get into Soul Society. She initially took the form of a cat and liked to embarrass Ichigo when she transformed back. Yoruichi is very revealing and becomes the subject of a few fanservice scenes. She also has a very special relationship with Soi Fon and is very close with Urahara.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto – Binbin Takaoka
Voice Actor: Binbin Takaoka
He is the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, the Division 1 Captain, and the teacher of Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake. He is a very old man and strictly follows the rules of Soul Society. He is considered the strongest Shinigami of the last millennium and is very muscular despite his old age. His sword is called Ryūjin Jakka and is the strongest of all Zanpakutō. He is killed fighting Yhwach after his Bankai is stolen from him.
Soi Fon – Houko Kuwashima
Voice Actor: Houko Kuwashima
She is the Captain of Division 2 and a former member of Yoruichi Shihōin’s bodyguards, who harbored a violent grudge against her until a fight. After her defeat, she forgives Yoruichi for her disappearance without a trace. Her Zanpakutō is called Suzumebachi. Despite this, she quickly becomes embarrassed when Yoruichi is around her, often giving the impression that she wants to form a yuri relationship with her. She is therefore very polite and extremely respectful of her former mentor.
Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi – Shouto Kashii
Voice Actor: Shouto Kashii
Rōjūrō Otoribashi, also known as Rose, is a man with long blonde hair. He was promoted to Captain of the Third Division one year before Kisuke Urahara, 111 years ago. Ten years later, when the blackouts on the Rukongai reach Captain Kensei Muguruma and his Lieutenant Mashiro Kuna, Rose is sent along with Shinji, Love, Lisa, and Hachigen to investigate the incident, which turned them all into Visoreds.
Retsu Unohana – Aya Hisakawa
Voice Actor: Aya Hisakawa
She is the Captain of Division 4 and specializes in healing powers. She is a beautiful and gentle, yet very assertive woman, who sometimes has a slightly morbid and sinister demeanor that silences even the thugs of the Eleventh Division. Her zanpakutō is called Minazuki. Although she rarely participates in battles and her company is the weakest, she is considered one of the strongest shinigami. Her previous name was Yachiru Unohana.
Shinji Hirako – Masaya Onosaka
Voice Actor: Masaya Onosaka
Shinji Hirako is the leader of the Visored. Although he is almost always the protagonist of comic skits, he knows how to be serious in critical moments. One hundred years before the current events he was the captain of the Fifth Division and, distrustful of Aizen, he chose him as a lieutenant precisely to be able to control him closely; however, due to his distrust, he did not notice the illusory properties of Aizen’s Zanpakutō, allowing him to continue his plans undisturbed.
Byakuya Kuchiki – Ryotaro Okiayu
Voice Actor: Ryotaro Okiayu
He is the Captain of Division 6 and head of one of the four noble families of Soul Society. He is a very rational, cool person who has faithfully followed the law ever since his wife Hisana, Rukia’s older sister, died. At her request, he took Rukia into his family and was supposed to protect her as his own sister.
At the same time, he swore by his parents’ grave that he would never again break the rules of Soul Society, even if they didn’t seem (totally) reasonable to him. He feels a debt of guilt to Ichigo for allowing him to once again choose between the law and one’s heart’s desire. His Zanpakutō is called Senbonzakura.
Sajin Komamura – Tetsu Inada
Voice Actor: Tetsu Inada
He is the commander of Division 7. His appearance resembles that of a humanoid, gigantic fox. To hide his true appearance, he wore a mask until the fight against Kenpachi Zaraki. He was a good friend of Kaname Tōsen until the day the latter betrayed him and Soul Society. He became a shinigami to honor Yamamoto, since he was one of the first people (along with Tōsen, who couldn’t see him) not to disown him for his looks. His Zanpakutō is called Tenken, but he almost always fights with the Bankai.
Shunsui Kyōraku – Akio Ohtsuka
Voice Actor: Akio Ohtsuka
He is the Captain of Division 8 and a former student of Yamamoto. He appears lazy, spends his days daydreaming, and likes to drink sake, but is a strong, loyal fighter and has good people skills. He was one of Yamamoto’s students along with Jūshirō Ukitake. His zanpakutō is called Katen Kyōkotsu. After Yamamoto’s death, he was selected as the new Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.
Kensei Muguruma – Tomokazu Sugita
Voice Actor: Tomokazu Sugita
Kensei Muguruma is the captain of the Ninth Division. With a muscular and athletic physique, he wears a blue tank top with a gray outline and orange gloves, has silver-gray hair, and has the number 69 tattooed on his abdomen, which Shūhei Hisagi imitated by making a similar one on his cheek as a sign of gratitude after being was saved as a child. According to what Kuna revealed, he is short-tempered, quarrelsome, and somewhat irritable.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya – Romi Park
Voice Actor: Romi Park
He is the Captain of Division 10 and the youngest ever to hold such an office. He is very intelligent and first suspected Gin Ichimaru of being the mastermind behind the plot. He would protect his childhood friend Momo Hinamori with his life, but he is of small stature for his age and is repeatedly treated like a child, which he absolutely dislikes. His Zanpakuto is called Hyōrinmaru and appears in the form of a gigantic ice dragon with the power to rule the sky and weather. It is the strongest Ice Zanpakutō ever.
Kenpachi Zaraki – Fumihiko Tachiki
Voice Actor: Fumihiko Tachiki
He is the commander of the Division 11 and the only commander who neither knows the name of his Zanpakutō nor can arrange for its release (in the beginning, at least). The name Zaraki Kenpachi is a name he gave to himself. It is composed of the words “Zaraki”, the name of a district in Rukongai – the slums of Soul Society – from which he comes, and “Kenpachi”, a title given to the strongest swordsman. In his arguments, he relies entirely on his strength and the hardness of his body; he appears very uncouth and brutal, but tends to lecture his opponents and give them a second chance.
Mayuri Kurotuschi – Ryusei Nakao
Voice Actor: Ryusei Nakao
He is the Captain of Division 12 and the head of the research department. He has a strange and ever-changing appearance, stemming from the experiments he has performed on himself. Because of these experiments and inventions, he sometimes has very unusual fighting techniques. His zanpakutō is called Ashisogi Jizō. He likes to refer to beings with special strengths as “test subjects” and has very macabre traits. He’s a scientist who hates perfection because perfection doesn’t allow for improvement.
Jūshirō Ukitake – Hideo Ishikawa
Voice Actor: Hideo Ishikawa
He is the Captain of the 13th Division and thus Rukia’s superior. A former student of Yamamoto, he is a very intelligent, quiet man who values his subordinates. He suffers from a disease similar to tuberculosis because he keeps coughing up blood, which renders him incapable from time to time. His Zanpakutō is called Sōgyo no Kotowari.
Ichibē Hyōsube – Naomi Kusumi
Voice Actor: Naomi Kusumi
Ichibe Hyōsube is the commander of the Royal Guard and holds the title of “Monk Who Calls the Real Name”. He looks like a stout, bearded man with thick eyebrows and a big nose. He is credited with giving the name to all things in the Soul Society, including calling the shinigami swords “Zanpakutō” and their releases “Shikai” and “Bankai”; he also claims to know the real name of all the Zanpakutō, a statement confirmed by the fact that it is he who reveals the real name of Zabimaru’s Bankai to Renji.
Ōetsu Nimaiya – Yōji Ueda
Voice Actor: Yōji Ueda
Ōetsu Nimaiya is one of the five Shinigami of the Royal Guard and holds the title of “God of the Sword”. Generally playful and cheerful, when it comes to talking about Zanpakutō, he becomes extremely serious. He is credited as the inventor of the Asauchi and the method by which they evolve into Zanpakutō by creating a deep bond with one’s Shinigami. Ōetsu has such knowledge in this field that he is the only one who can reforge a broken Zanpakutō in bankai state.
Tenjirō Kirinji – Tomoyuki Shimura
Voice Actor: Tomoyuki Shimura
Tenjirō Kirinji is one of the five Shinigami of the Royal Guard. He is a thin and very tall man with black hair styled in a bizarre pompadour. Known to be an incredibly skilled healer, he is the one who taught the medical art to Retsu Unohana during his time as captain of Gotei 13, although he claims to know techniques that the captain of the Fourth Division is unable to perform.
Senjumaru Shutara – Rina Satou
Voice Actor: Rina Satou
Senjumaru Shutara is one of the five Shinigami who are part of the Royal Guard. She is credited with inventing the Shihakushō, the uniform of the Shinigami. She has six additional arms, similar to those of a puppet, which protrude from behind her back and which she is able to move with great dexterity; the main feature of these arts is the ability to weave with great speed and accuracy.
Kirio Hikifune – Ayumi Tsunematsu
Voice Actor: Ayumi Tsunematsu
Kirio Hikifune is one of the five Shinigami belonging to the Royal Guard; in the past he was the captain of the Twelfth Division and had as lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki, with whom he had an almost maternal relationship. She holds the title of “Ruler of Grain” as she invented artificial souls and Soul Candy. Kirio uses a logic similar to the production of Soul Candy when preparing food, injecting large quantities of reiatsu into it in order to greatly strengthen those who eat it; to this must be added her great culinary talent, with which she is able to make any food extremely tasty and savory.
Yhwach – Takayuki Sugo
Voice Actor: Takayuki Sugo
Yhwach is the king of the Vandenreich, the Sternritter with the designation A and the strongest Quincy. He is cruel, devious and absolutely authoritarian towards his subordinates. A thousand years ago, he was sealed by Yamamoto, but after 900 years his heart started beating again, after 90 years he regained his intellect and after 9 years his powers. During the invasion of Soul Society, he kills Yamamoto and steals his Bankai. His goal is to conquer the world in 9 days.
Jugram Haschwalth – Yuichiro Umehara
Voice Actor: Yuichiro Umehara
Jugram Haschwalth is the Sternritter with the designation B the right hand of Yhwach. He is respected by most Quincys and is considered by many to be Yhwachs’s successor. Bazz-B calls him “Jugo”. Haschwalth broke Ichigo’s bankai during the invasion.
Askin Nakk Le Vaar – Shunsuke Takeuchi
Voice Actor: Shunsuke Takeuchi
Askin Nakk Le Vaar is the Sternritter with the designation “D”. He is part of the Schutzstaffel and looks like a black-haired boy, with a small tuft that falls in front of his face and with full lips. He is a very lazy character: in fact he is the only one of all the Quincys who does not actively take part in the war against the Shinigami. One of the main characteristics of him, however, is that he is very cautious and thoughtful. His particular power consists in altering the lethal dose of any substance present within his own organism or that of his opponent, so as to survive deadly attacks or cause death.
Bambietta Basterbine – Ayana Taketatsu
Voice Actor: Ayana Taketatsu
Bambietta Basterbine is the young Sternritter with the designation E. She has a sadistic personality and kills her own subordinates to pass the time. During the invasion, she stole Komamura’s Bankai.
Bazz-B – Yūki Ono
Voice Actor: Yūki Ono
Bazz-B is the Sternritter with the designation H and is easily recognizable by his mohawk. He is very temperamental and is very distrustful of Uryu Ishida. He seems to be very familiar with Haschwalth and calls him “Jugo”. Like Äs Nödt, he survives the flames of Yamamoto’s Bankai.
Candice Catnipp – Yumi Uchiyama
Voice Actor: Yumi Uchiyama
Candice Catnipp is the Sternritter with the designation “T”. Candice is a tall, curvy girl with long green hair. Her clothing consists of the typical double-breasted jacket, which Candice wears unbuttoned and tied under the breast, leaving the diaphragm visible, and a pair of shorts with a black belt on which there is a heart-shaped buckle on one side. She also wears a white cap, with a black peak and the insignia of the Vandenreich on her forehead, a pair of ankle-high shoes and gloves that cover her arms.
Gremmy Thoumeaux – Natsuki Hanae
Voice Actor: Natsuki Hanae
Gremmy Thoumeaux is the Sternritter with the designation “V”. He is a very young and light-haired boy. His typical white Vandenreich uniform is a hooded raincoat, which the boy always keeps down. His power of him consists in making everything he imagines real. Because of this ability, Gremmy is considered the most powerful Sternritter and is feared by his own allies. Although this power seems invincible, if Gremmy’s attention to his target is diverted, its influence on it immediately ceases. Also, if he doesn’t pay enough attention, Gremmy could cause his own death just by imagining it.
Lille Barro – Satoshi Hino
Voice Actor: Satoshi Hino
Lille Barro is the Sternritter with the designation “X”. Lille looks like a dark-skinned young man with short light hair and a black cross-shaped mark, inscribed in a circumference, on his left eye, which is constantly closed. He wears a long cloak, under which he wears gloves, a tank top, with a fur shoulder strap on his right shoulder, white trousers and shoes.
He also wears a fur felucca, of the same color, on which a small emblem of the Vandenreich is present on both sides. As the first Quincy to obtain his powers from Yhwach, Lille sees himself as the most phenomenal servant of his leader and the one who is closest to deity status
Ryūnosuke Yuki – Daiki Yamashita
Voice Actor: Daiki Yamashita
Ryūnosuke Yuki is one of the Shinigami that replaces Zennosuke Kurumadani as the guardian of the Karakura Town area.
Shino Madarame – Asemi Seto
Voice Actor: Asemi Seto
Shino is one of the Shinigami that replaces Zennosuke Kurumadani as the guardian of the Karakura Town area. She is Ikkaku’s younger sister.
Äs Nödt – Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Voice Actor: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Äs Nödt is the Sternritter with the designation F. Äs’ gender was unknown because of the long hair and the half mask that covers the lower half of the face, but was later revealed to be male. Äs can inspire fear in his opponents. This is how Äs defeated Byakuya after Äs stole his Bankai. Äs is burned by Yamamoto’s flames but survives.
Quilge Opie – Kōichi Yamadera
Voice Actor: Kōichi Yamadera
Quilge Opie is the Stertitter with the designation J and is also the commander of the Hunting Army. He defeats Harribels Fracciónes and Ayon but is defeated by Ichigo. However, Quilge gets back up and delays Ichigo’s arrival in Soul Society by imprisoning him in a Reishi prison. Before he can kill Urahara, Orihime, and Chad, he is killed by Grimmjow. His Quincy: Vollständig is called Biskiel.
BG9 – Hideyuki Tanaka
Voice Actor: Hideyuki Tanaka
BG9 is the Sternritter with the designation “K”. BG9 is impatient and ruthless; he likes to ask his opponent numerous questions, attacking him brutally if he refuses to answer. During the invasion of the Soul Society, he engages in battle with Soifon, stealing her Bankai. During the second invasion, BG9 goes in search of Soifon, and takes Marechiyo Ōmaeda’s younger sister hostage to force him to reveal the captain’s location.
Robert Accutrone – Takaya Hashi
Voice Actor: Takaya Hashi
Robert Accutrone is the Sternritter with the designation “N”. He is a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and thin glasses. During the first invasion of the Soul Society, Robert confronts Shunsui Kyōraku and, using his Quincy: Vollständig Grimaniel, wounds him in the eye with his gun. During the second invasion of the Seireitei, Robert confronts Ichigo along with other Sternritters but is easily defeated by Byakuya.
Driscoll Berci – Nobuaki Kanemitsu
Voice Actor: Nobuaki Kanemitsu
Driscoll Berci is the Sternritter with the designation O and is known for getting stronger by killing. He stole the Bankai from Sasakibe and uses it against Yamamoto, however the stolen Bankai is too weak and Driscoll is burned and killed by his opponent.
Mask De Masculine – Yasuhiro Mamiya
Voice Actor: Yasuhiro Mamiya
Mask de Masculine is the Sterntitter with the designation “S”. He is accompanied by James, a little fat and chubby little man who idolizes and incites him during his battles, empowering Mask himself with cheering on him. In fact, the Sternritter manages to convert the incitements of at least one other person into reishi, thus gaining a considerable amount of strength and endurance.
NaNaNa Najahkoop – Tomoaki Maeno
Voice Actor: Tomoaki Maeno
NaNaNa Najahkoop is the Stern Ritter with the designation U. NaNaNa can analyze a target’s reiatsu over a period of time to determine his opponent’s distribution of spiritual energy. To do this, he imprints his Schrift on the target and uses it to form a grid, which the quincy calls the Morphine Pattern; this allows him to identify the weak points present in the target’s reiatsu, increasing their size until the opponent’s reiatsu is exhausted.